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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Iconic Cubs & Yankees Set To Square Off At The Stadium Wednesday

After a rain-out on Tuesday, two historic Major League franchises--the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs--will play their first ever regular season game at the new Yankee Stadium Wednesday afternoon, as part of a day-night doubleheader . The two teams played an exhibition set when the building opened in 2009, with the Yankees winning both games pretty easily.

Will the Yankees have the same success Wednesday? Examining the histories of both teams, along with their current rosters, can lead many fans to believe that the answer to this question is a resounding “yes.”Knowing this affirmative answer can lead some of you (Don’t deny it!) to check the betting odds for the game. You can view odds for MLB at Sportsbet.com.

Back to the history. The Yankees and Cubs are two of the most iconic teams in both the history of baseball and the history of sports. Of course, they are on two different parts of the history spectrum, with the Yankees having won 27 World Championships (the latest in 2009) and the Cubs only two (the latest in 1908). Other than that difference, however, the two teams share some wonderful things:

Historic ballparks- Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium

Classic Logos- The Cubs Circled C and the Yankees Interlocking NY

Iconic Players like the Cubs’ Ernie Banks and the Yankees’ Don Mattingly

Game Day Traditions like Celebrity sing-a-longs (Cubs) and the Bleacher Creatures (Yankees)

The list goes on and on. We will see some of those on Wednesday, when likely game one starter Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound for the Yankees and Jason Hammel does the same for the Cubs. Tanaka is just getting his feet wet in the Major Leagues, having gone 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his first two starts.Hammel is 2-0 this season with a 2.63 ERA.Yankee batters, however, have a .325 average against him, with eight home runs and 31 RBIs.

More specifically against Hammel, Derek Jeter is 7-22 against him with one home run and one double. Ichiro Suzuki is 8-20 with two RBIs.Kelly Johnson is the Yankee with the most success off Hammel: 8-27 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Tanaka, of course, has no record against the Cubs.I will venture to say, however, that his experience will translate well against the Chicago Cubs, who, for many reasons, have never been worse than they are now. Don’t hold me to it, though. Until Tanaka has had a few more starts, it will be hard to say with complete conviction how he will fare as a Major League pitcher.

So, Cubs vs Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It should be a fun afternoon for all involved.